Multi-wound models

Ok, I was under the impression that in 5th ed a unit of multiwound models have much more survivability as you can allocate wounds across the unit before taking off a model.

Last night I was flicking through my rule book and I was scanning the mutiwound model unit section in shooting.
Unless I read it incorrectly, it said that if the models in a unit are identical (e.g. 3 Nid warriors armed with devourers and talons), then you have to take off whole models...

Have I read it incorrectly, or am I going to have to arm all my warriors differently in order for 4 wounds to actually take off 1 model (1 wound on each, then last wound on a wounded model for a kill)?

Im asking this off memory, so excuse me if I'm being an idiot....

Herald of the Colonel; Festooned with pistols, riddled with vermin, and finger lickin' good...

You read it correctly, identical multi-wound models must remove whole models and may not "spread" wounds.

Interesting to note, although this will not apply to Tyranid Warriors (due to synapse), that Instant Death causing wounds must be placed first on unwounded models.

This is all in the right hand column of page 26.

Crap, I've been playing it wrong then the last few games....

So, going by the rules, if I had 3 warriors all armed differently, they would have a greater survivability than 3 identical wariors, as i would have to spread the wounds out (instant death being a moot point for warriors)?

I was confused as a lot of people said that the wound allocation rules now benefitted Nids....
Can I still allocate a wound to, say, a broodlord in his retinue of stealers in order to save a stealer from dying?

Thnkas for ur input so far, +rep

Herald of the Colonel; Festooned with pistols, riddled with vermin, and finger lickin' good...

Remember you apply wounds to each model first, and then roll to wound. So it could be you take even wounds across your warriors, keeping the 3 alive, but you could roll snake eyes on the first warrior and pass all the rest and so would lose a whole model.

Although they still are more survivable. With the new SM codex, i'm going to equip vanguard (if i ever use them) differently for just that reason.

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Remember you apply wounds to each model first, and then roll to wound. So it could be you take even wounds across your warriors, keeping the 3 alive, but you could roll snake eyes on the first warrior and pass all the rest and so would lose a whole model

Even though you assign wounds to an individual model, you roll them in groups of similar models. Meaning, if you have 4 guys, one of which is different, and take 8 wounds... each individual model takes two shots. But, since guys 1-3 are all the same, you roll those 6 wounds together and remove a model per failed save (up to the 3 total). The only guy who rolls his separately is the unique person. You don't actually roll saves for each individual model unless it's somehow unique from everyone else.

Originally Posted by ajay29

I was confused as a lot of people said that the wound allocation rules now benefitted Nids....
Can I still allocate a wound to, say, a broodlord in his retinue of stealers in order to save a stealer from dying?

It only benefits if you take different layouts on your warriors. I had a situation last night where the wound allocation saved a squad of plague marines from certain death.. There were three left, a PFist champ, a plasma gunner, and a regular bolter guy. A terminator squad shot at them and caused 3 rends and 4 regular wounds. Normally the three rends would wipe out the squad, but with the new allocation, it went like:
- Rend on bolter joe
- Regular wound on plasma
- Regular wound on pfist
- Rend on bolter joe
- Regular wound on plasma
- Regular wound on pfist
- Rend on bolter joe

So that ended up being 2 saves a piece for the pfist and plasma gunner (which they made with 3+ followed by FNP), then three rends obliterating the regular bolter joe. It's a bit cheesy to do, but hey, they were the last things by his objective in a capture & control mission in the very late game, so eh... :p

Lastly, yes, you can take a wound on a broodlord when the squad gets shot. Even if you only take one wound, you can put it on him.... The only restriction is that you cannot put a second wound on him (from a single unit firing) unless every stealer has taken their first also.

I was confused as a lot of people said that the wound allocation rules now benefitted Nids....
Can I still allocate a wound to, say, a broodlord in his retinue of stealers in order to save a stealer from dying?

Remember you apply wounds to each model first, and then roll to wound. So it could be you take even wounds across your warriors, keeping the 3 alive, but you could roll snake eyes on the first warrior and pass all the rest and so would lose a whole model.

Although they still are more survivable. With the new SM codex, i'm going to equip vanguard (if i ever use them) differently for just that reason.

Understood, what I meant was 3 individually equipped warriors could tyake 3 hits, three wounds, and i could stick one on each. Therefore 3 failed saves means no dead warriors, hence more survivable!

Rep for all guys, thanks for the help!

Herald of the Colonel; Festooned with pistols, riddled with vermin, and finger lickin' good...

yea your correct on that. say they get shot. 3 wounds one on each one fails others dont so he has one wound left. next time they get shot, one wound, it has to go to the warrior with one wound left. he fails he dies. you cant give it to another one until he dies, well i think it works that way.

yea your correct on that. say they get shot. 3 wounds one on each one fails others dont so he has one wound left. next time they get shot, one wound, it has to go to the warrior with one wound left. he fails he dies. you cant give it to another one until he dies, well i think it works that way.

since he is an individually equipped model seperate from the rest of the brood, why would you have to assign it to the already wounded model?